Search & Replace

T.C.Hollingsworth(tchollingsworth gmail.com)

Introduction

Kate's Search & Replace plugin allows you to search for text or
regular expressions
in many different files at once. You can search all open files, all the files
in one directory and optionally its subdirectories, or in the active file.
You can even filter by filename, for instance searching only files
that end with a particular file extension.

Interface

Search Query

The following options are always displayed at the top of the Search in
Files tool view:

You can have as many searches as you want open at the same time. Simply click
the new tab button at the top-left corner of the Search
tool view and a new results tab will open permitting you to perform another
search.

The button in the top right-corner of the Search in Files tool view will
toggle the bottom half of the tool view between displaying additional options
for the Search in Folder mode and the results of your search.

Find

This is where you type in what you want to find. You may enter standard text,
or a regular expression if enabled.

Replace (text box)

Replacement text that will be added to file(s) in place of the text in the
Find text box.

Search

When you've finished configuring everything, just press the
Search button to perform your search. You may also press
Enter in the Find text box to do the same.

Replace

When you've finished configuring everything, just press the
Replace button to replace the text entered in the
Find text box with that of the Replace
text box. You may also press Enter in the Replace text
box to do the same.

Next

Go to the next match of your search query, switching files if necessary.

Replace Checked

The same as Replace, but will only perform replacements
in files that are checked in the pane below.

Search in Folder Options

These options are displayed below the aforementioned query options. If search
results are being displayed instead, press the
button to display them.

Search in

This has three options. Select Open Files to search all
files currently open in Kate. Select Folder to
search inside a folder and optionally its subfolders. Select Current
File to search only in the active file.

If the Projects plugin is loaded, you can also search in
the Current Project or in All Open Projects.

Match case

Restricts search results to only those that have the exact same combination
of upper and lower case letters as your search query.

Display all the results found in each file, instead of just a list of files
that contain the search query.

Folder

You may enter the path of the folder you wish to search. For instance, you might
enter ~/development/kde/kate/ if you wished to search the
Kate source code. This option is only available when using
in Folder mode.

Open file dialog

Press this button to locate the folder in your desktop's folder browser. This
button only works when using Folder mode.

Press this button to change Folder to the parent of the
currently selected folder. This button only works when using
Folder mode.

This button will set the Folder entry to the folder in which
the currently open document is located. This button only works when using
Folder mode.

Filter

This permits you to only search filenames that match a particular pattern. For
instance, to only search files written in C++, change it to
*.cpp. To search only files beginning with
kate, change it to kate*. You can
enter multiple filters separated with a comma (,). This
option is not available when using Open files mode.

Exclude

The opposite of Filter, this prevents Kate from
searching files that match the specified patterns. As with
Filter, you can enter multiple patterns separated with a
comma (,). This option is not available when using
Open files mode.

Recursive

If this option is enabled, Kate will also search in all subfolders of the
selected folder. This option is only available when using
Folder mode.

Include hidden

If this option is enabled, Kate will also search in files or folders that
are typically hidden by your operating system. This option is only available when using
Folder mode.

Follow symbolic links

The Search in Files plugin typically does not follow
symbolic links.
When this option is enabled, the plugin will follow them instead and search inside
the files or folders they reference. This option is only available when using
Folder mode.

Warning

It's possible for symbolic links to reference a folder that is the
parent of the folder currently being searched, or other folders that contain
symbolic links to their parent. If there is such a link in the folder being
searched and this option is enabled, Kate will repeatedly follow the link
and search the folder, and the search will never complete.

Include binary files

If enabled, Kate will also search in files that do not appear to be text
files.

Search Results

The results of your search are displayed below the query options. If
options for Search in Folder mode are displayed, simply press the
button to display them. They will also
automatically be displayed as soon as a search is performed.

The search results display a list of files that contains text that matches
your search query, followed by the number of matches found in that file.

To see a list of matches in that file, simply click the expansion arrow
to the left of the file name. (If you selected the Expand
results option, this will already be done for you.) The line number
each match is found on will be displayed, followed by the contents of that line,
with your search query indicated in bold text.

To open the file your result was found in, simply double-click it. Kate
will open the file if needed. You can also move the cursor to the location of
a particular match by double-clicking on its listing instead of the file name.

Menu Structure

Edit → Search in Files

Launches the Search and Replace tool view.

Edit → Go to Next Match

Go to the next match in a search performed by the Search and Replace
plugin.

Edit → Go to Previous Match

Go to the previous match in a search performed by the Search and Replace
plugin.